Cincinnati Chili

I'll be honest.  I'm a born and bred Southern girl, and never had I heard of putting chili on spaghetti.  You put spaghetti sauce on spaghetti.  Or, if you are feeling fancy, maybe some white sauce, but not chili.  So, when Biz started talking about 'Chili Mac', I was intrigued.  When she said, chili with no beans, I was sold.  I wanted to give her Cincinnati Chili a try.  And yes, Biz, I went and put green onions all over it ;-)

Cincinnati Chili 

adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen and What's Cooking America

• 1.5 pounds ground turkey (or ground beef)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook onions until softened. 
2. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper, cooking until fragrant (just a minute or two). Add ground turkey, breaking it up into small pieces. *I cooked my turkey until almost done before adding in #3, however, for traditional Cincinnati chili, ground beef (or in my case, turkey) is supposed to cook in the boiling broth.
3. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and vinegar.
4. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chili is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

To serve - Can be served over spaghetti, with toppings of choice.  

According to 'What's Cooking America'....

"Cincinnati chili lovers order their chili by number. Two, Three, Four, or Five Way."

Two-Way Chili:   Chili served on spaghetti
Three-Way Chili:   Additionally topped with shredded Cheddar cheese
Four-Way Chili:   Additionally topped with chopped onions
Five-Way Chili:   Additionally topped with kidney beans

Verdict? This was delicious.  A little different than what I am used to, but delicious all the same.  This is why I love reading food blogs! You learn so much about how others view food, what their traditions are, and about how different regions have their own 'specialties'. I don't think about foods varying very much just from state to state, but they do.  Plus, I wasn't exposed to much more than meat and potatoes growing up! I guess Eastern NC is known for their BBQ (pork, of course).  Not sure what else?!

What foods are most popular where you live?  Feel free to leave links, recipes, etc!

I'm linking up today with Holly's Stamping Addiction, The Dedicated House, Homemaker on a Dime, Beyer Beware, Delightfully Dowling, Skip to my Lou, Project Inspire, Making the World Cuter, Mrs. Happy Homemaker, This Gal Cooks, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Naptime Creations, Mandy's Recipe Box, Pocket Change Gourmet, 33 Shades of Green, Blessed with Grace, ZentMrs. & the Mr., Memories by the Mile, Finding Joy in My Kitchen